Combined mortar pan and scaffold support



June 14, 1960 E. GKGENTNER 2,940,599

COMBINED MORTAR PAN AND SCAFFOLD SUPPORT Filed Dec. 24, 1958 as m 23 -2626" INVENTOR 0 WA RD 6. GE/vT/vER ATTORNEYS United States PatentCOMBINED MORTAR PAN AND SCAFFOLD SUPPORT Edward G. Gentner,Millersville, Md.

Filed Dec. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 782,714

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-71) This invention relates to stands or supports andmore particularly to a combined mortar pan and scaffold support for usein masonry construction.

This is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial No.673,886, filed July 24, 1957, and now abandoned.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a stand forsupporting both a conventional mortar pan and a scaffold member uponwhich bricks or other building material may be placed so that both thepan and the bricks are at approximately waist level, thereby lesseningthe fatigue and time required of a mason when,

the mortar and bricks must be lifted from foot level to the workinglevel of the wall as has been usual heretofore.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined mortar pan andscaffold support which is exceptionally stable.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a combinedmortar pan and scaffold support whose entire base area has supportingengagement withthe ground or other horizontal surface so that more thanusual displacement is required over the edge of the surface, as forexample the edge of the usual building scaffold, before the support ofthe invention will fall.

A still further object of the invention is the provision Y of a combinedmortar pan and scaffold support which provides positive restrainedsupport for the mortar pan so that this cannot be accidentally dislodgedand also provides restrained support for the scaffold so that oncelocated in its position of use it cannot be moved so as to accidentallytilt or tip over an unguarded edge.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a combined mortar panand scaffold support which accomplishes all of the foregoing objects yetis exceptionally economical to manufacture and has the further featureof being constructed in a skeletal truncated pyramidal shape so thatwhen not in use the support of the invention may be easily stored bynesting with other supports constructed in accordance with theinvention.

Other objects and their attendant advantages will become apparent as thefollowing detailed description is read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the combined mortar pan and scaffoldsupport constructed in accordance with the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a pair of combined mortar pan andscaffold supports showing the intended manner of use of the invention,and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the presentinvention. I

Referring now to Fig. l, designates the combined mortar pan and scaffoldsupport of the invention which, it will be observed, is a skeletalstructure of truncated pyramidal shape composed throughout of weldedtube, pipe or rod materials. The structure of the invention is designedto provide raised, restrained support for a conventional mortar pan anda scaffold, both of which are preferably located at substantially waistlevel, with the bricks to be laid being carried on the scaffold, so thatthe total distance which a mason must lift the bricks and mortar to theworking level of the wall should never exeeed one-half the distancewhich he would have to lift these were they to be located at foot levelwhich has frequently been the case heretofore.

Specifically, the combined stand or support of the invention comprisesan upper rectangular horizontal frame 11 having sides 12 and 14 whoselengths are slightly greater than the bottom side edges 16 of a mortarpan 17 so that when this is seated on thestand the bottom thereof willproject below the plane of the frame 11 and the pan will be therebyrestrained from being accidentally shoved over or slid off the top ofthe stand as might be the case were the top merely a flat platform.

The base of the stand 10 comprises a rectangular horizontal frame 20having sides 22 and 24 which are substantially longer than thecorresponding sides 12 and 14 of the upper frame 11 so that when thecorners thereof are connected to the corresponding corners of the lowerframe 20 by inwardly sloping legs 25, a truncated pyramidal structure isformed wherein the base is substantially larger than the upper end toprovide exceptional stability to the structure. In addition to providingstability against ordinary lateral forces, the continuously closed frameof the base provided by the side members 22, 24 lessens the danger ofthe structures dropping over the edge of the usual building scaffoldshould a portion thereof accidentally project over the edge. In fact,substantially onehalf of the base would have to project over the edgebefore the structure would fall and thus there is eliminated one of thedangers inherent in ordinary four-legged stands which would probablyfall immediately if even one leg were to be moved only slightly over theedge of a scaffold.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the structure of theinvention as so far described provides a stable restrained support for amortar pan to locate this in an elevated position most convenient to themason. In addition to supporting the mortar plan, the invention providesthe additional important feature of supporting scaffolding upon whichbricks may be placed at a convenient height to the mason so that only aminimum effort need be required of him to move both mortar and bricks tothe working face of the wall under construction. The scaffold herereferred to, which may comprise boards or similar members, should bedistinguished from the usual building scafiold upon which the stand ofthe invention would rest and on which the mason usually stands duringconstruction.

The scaffold supporting means of the invention comprises a pair oflateral struts 26 which are disposed in the same horizontal planebetween two opposed pairs of legs 25. As illustrated in Fig. 2, ascaffold member 28 rests on the struts 26 and these are located near theupper ends of the legs so as to support the scaffold 28 near to but justbelow and out of contact with a mortar pan seated in the upper frame 11.Since the scaffold when seated on the struts 26 is encompassed on allfour sides by the upper end 27 of the leg members 25 and the sidemembers 12 of the upper frame 11, it will be apparent that once inposition the scaffold cannot in any way be displaced laterally from itssupported position without the forceable displacement of the entirestand.

. Hence bricks 30 stacked on the scaffold would be in no greater dangerof falling on persons below than would be if stacked at foot level onthe ordinary building scaffold.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 is substantiallyidentical in all respects to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 exceptthat in lieu of the closed upper frame 11 shown in Fig. 1, the siderails 12 are eliminated.

invention.

' embodiment of Fig. l the scafi old must be inserted lengthwiseinto theopening between the rails .22 and 26;

. Mortar pans used by masons are almost universally of the sameconstruction comprising rectangular receptacles having outwardly slopingsides. The combinedmortar pan and scatfold supports described hereinhave been introduced'to the trade for use with conventional pans andhave found immediate acceptance. The saving in time and effort with theresultant accomplishment of greater production with less fatigue bylocating both the mortar and the bricks at'a convenient working levelhas been met with approbation in the trade and among employers. Thepractical elimination of the danger of the stands ,falling by projectingover the edge of a'building scaifold, a danger inherent in four-leggedstructures, has rendered the stand of the invention acceptable from asafety point of view. The pyramidal structure which renders the standinherently stable against accidental tilting also makes the standsextremely easy to store when not in use since they may be nested one inthe other to take up little more space than a single stand by itself.Being a rigid welded structure, derangement to hinges and/ or flexibleplatform supporting elements is eliminated and the danger of the pansslidingofi a platform is entirely eliminated through its seatingengagement with the upper frame 11 of the The restrained but readilydisengaged support of the scaffold with the stand renders the former notonly suitable for carrying bricks but also if desired the scafiold couldbe safely used for standing on by construction workers.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the combined mortarpan and scaffold support could be varied in dimension to suit thecircumstance. It will also be apparent that it is susceptible of variousother modifications and changes without, however, departing from thescope and spirit of the appended claim.

What is claimed is: i

A combined mortar pan and scalfold support comprising a horizontalrectangular base frame, inwardly and upwardly sloping leg member srigidly connected to the of said struts lying in the same horizontalplane parallel to but sufliciently below a plane through said sidemembers that a mortar pan seated thereon is out of contact with ascafiold seated on said struts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS578,012 Harris Mar. 2, 1897 1,766,085 Rumer g 1 June 24, 1930 2,480,018Greenberg Aug. 23, 1949 2,799,401

Douchin July 16, 1957 t i l

